Wise old Harry

MY!! HOW THINGS HAVE
CHANGED FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS
SINCE 1952

THE INTEGRITY OF HARRY TRUMAN

'It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya'
brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather.' -
Harry Truman.

When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income
was essentially equivalent to a U.S. Army pension reported to have been
$13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps
and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a
retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined,
saying, 'You don't want me. You want the office of the president, and
that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's
not for sale.' Later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to
award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept
it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be
the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'

We now see past presidents who have found a new level of success in
cashing in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Many in
Congress, too, have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying
the fruits of their offices.

Truman observed, 'My choice early in life was either to be a piano
player in a cathouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's
hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be
much more honorable than current politicians.'
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Simply amazing! A patriotic politician with personal integrity!
Unfortunately, today they don't seem to exist in either political party.

My how times have changed